Receptacle perforator and closure



Nov. 15, 1932. E. BpGOODFELLOW 1,887,592

RECEPTACLE PERFORATOR AND CLOSURE Filed Jan. 12, 1931' i a swim;

I l a/ A? Goad/eV/onn Patented N... 15, 1932 EARL R'GOODIELLOW, OF ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY RIGEPTACLE IPERFQRATOR AND CLOSURE Application fled January 12, 1981; Serial 116. 508,293.

The subject-matter of the present invention is directed to anovel .form of structure adapted to perforate a sealed receptacle to permit the removal of the contents thereof, 5 and further to exclude the admission of air into said receptacle, in its perforated condition, when a portion of the ordinary contents thereof is retained therein for subsequent periodic use. g

In the preserving or canning art, perishable material, such as evaporated milk, or the like, is hermetically sealed within the container or receptacle and once the latter is opened it becomes necessary to remove the 5 said material from the receptacle else the admission of air into the latter containing some of the material, cause ra id deterioration thereof and a likelihood o the propagation of disease germs.

The convenience attending the use of evaporated milk in the ordinary or original container has prompted the more resourceful person to simply punch two holes in the top of the can, one opening being used for pouring out the milk, as desired, while the other serves to permit the admission of air. In' such instances, the unused milk is retained in the can and certain plugs, or the like, are used to stop said openings. Such a procedure results in an unsanitary condition and quite frequently proves expensive in that rapid spoiling of the milk results. My predecessors in this art have attempted to overcome theabove conditions, some providing resilient means to perforate a can top in one or two places, said means serving to seal the openings made. While these devices are superior to the old method of punching-. and-plugging, they signally fail of successful performance in that the means perforating the can top also serves as the sealing means and hence as the accumulation of congeale milk clings to the inner edges of the openings 7 z the insertion of the sealing meansis not sufficient to absolutely preclude the admission of air, and in onsequenc'e, conditions men--- tioned as applying to the old method, soon arise and den i ne purpose of the improvements.

Accordingly, it is the object of my invention to provide a device adapted to be placed onto a receptacle whereby a plurality of openings may be punched in the top thereof, said device including means whereby the perforating or punching means is returned to its normal position, i. e., above the can top and atthe same time certain valve elements are closed to preclude the admission of air into the receptacle by way of the punched perforations.

"Another object resides in the rovison of a device of the above-mentioned c aracter embodying means whereby the upper portion of the receptacle and the flanged body portion of said device are maintained in a snug engagement when the latter is serving as a 010- sure for said receptacle.

A still further object of the invention is to provlde valved means whereby air may be excluded from the receptacle after the can has been perforated, said means being adapted to be open to the atmosphere to permit the emission, of rather, the esca e of any residual 8.112111 the affixed device urlng t e perforatmg operation.

Still another object is to provide an article which is exceedingl neat in appearance and while possessing al the attributes hereinbefore pointed out, may be manufactured at a low cost to permit retailing at a most attractive fi ure.

Wit these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in thedrawing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention.

Fig. 2' is a vertical central sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view, but showing the device attached to the upperp'ortion of a receptacle, the parts assuming the positions taken just after the perforating operation.

Fig. 4 is also a sectional view of the' device,

applied to a receptacle. but showing certain perforating means returned to their normal positions and the valved means being closed to reclude the admission of,air.-'-

ig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the device.

Referring now more in detail to the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views, let 6 indicate enerally the'body portion of my novel and improved article, said body portiondncludin a top portion 7 and a rim 8, the latter being bent outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, to rovide a shoulder 9 and a flange 10, said s oulder 9 being adapted to abut and rest against the top or cover portion 11 of a receptacle 12, as clearl shown "in Figs. 3 and 4. 'Said top portion of said body portion 6 is provided with substantially "diametrically opposed let openings 13 each being tagered, as shown,

and being preferabl forme -by punching up the material from t e under surface of said top portion to provide side walls 14. Said top portion 7 is further provided with a central opening 15 for the reception of a tubular element 16 which may be suitably afiixed to said top ortion in order to provide a guide for the rec1procation of the stem 17.

Said stem 17 is adapted to be reciprocated I to operate some of the.parts of the device and it will be observed that said stem is provided with a head portion 18, at one end, while its other end is reduced in diameter for engagement with a plate ordisk 19, as shown preferably diametrically opposed while ris- 1 1115 from the'upper face of sai late are ve elements 21, also referably iametrically opposed. The a oresaid artsbeing carried by said plate .19, it is o vious that the same move or operate in conjunction therewith, as will be pointed out more in detail hereinafter. Again reverting to Fi 2 it will be observed that the device'is provi ed with askets 22 and 23, the former being disk-l1 e and suitably aflixed to the upper face of said plate 19, while the, latter is annular and fits beneath a portion of the shoulder 9 and a ainst the inner surface of said flange 10. he inner face of said gasket '23 is beveled to converge upwardly toward the to ortion 7,ass'hown. I

en the device is placed ontothe top portion of the can 12 the beveled portion 24 of said resilient gasket 23 snugly embraces the upper sidesof said can and naturally affords an air-tightseal. As the above operation requires a certain amount of force, and as the top portion of the can must enter said body portion 6, it is obvious that the normal \air content of the latter' tends to compress and hence it is advisable to slightly depress the stem 17 to remove the valves 21 from the openings 13, thus permitting the escape of I the latter engage and perforate the can top 11 as shown at 26 in Fig. 3. At the same time the valve elements 21 eave the openings 13, but when the pressure of said stem is relieved, said spurs-20 ride out of the openings 26 and the valve elements rise upwardl and seal the openings 13, thus preventing t e entrance of air into the body portion 6 or the receptacle 12', just perforated. While the above description of the operation would seem to imply the movements as being slow, it will, of course, be understood that in actual practice the operator would strike the head portion 18 a sharp blow with the hand, a nd the above cycle of o erations' would obviously take place within a short s aceoftime, the blow on the head portion fbrcing the spurs into the can top, while the tensioned spring 17 removes the same therefrom.

In Fig. 2 the spurs 20, the stem 17 andthe valve elements 21 are shown as havin a reduced portion for securing the severafparts to said plate 19. It is obv1ous that this manner of aflixing the par is but one of the many methods which might be employed. Manifes'tly, the showing is illustrative and not restrictive in any sense.

After the can top 11 has been perforated positions shown in Fig. 4; the spurs being withdrawn and the valve elements 21, the resilient gasket 22 and the openings 13 all cooperating to prevent the admission of air into the receptacle, and in this condition the material therein will keep for an indefinite period of time without danger of deterioration.

When itis desired to remove a portion of the contents .of the receptacle 12, said body portion 7 is removed therefrom whereupon said contents exitsthrough one opening 26 while air enters the other opening to facilitate the discharge of said contents, as is obvious. The device may be again aflixed to the upper portion of the can, as pointed out herethe component parts of my device assume the inbefore and as the beveled gasket 23 assures an air tight connection between thesaid device and the can and since .no air can enter;

by way of the openings 13, the receptacle and .its contents, not yet removed, may stored for subsequent and repeated use.

From the foregoingv it is obvious that I have provided a device admirably adapted to perforate the top ofa receptacle,- said de- 'vice being further arranged whereby said receptacle is returned to its original hermetically sealed condition,

While the present is a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited thereto, as various changes in the minor details of construction, proportion and arrangement of'parts may be resorted to with-,

u out departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

' I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a body portion having depending u flange adapted'to fit over the top portion of a receptacle, resilient means presenting a beveled inner face fitting between said flange and said receptacle and adapted to seal the former to the'latter, saidtop portion of said receptacle presenting a normally closed opening, spring-pressed spurs reciprocatorily borne by said body portion and adapted to perforate the top of said receptacle and means adapted to close the openin in said top portion of 3 said body portion a er the perforating operation.

2. A device of the character described comrising a bod portion having a depending auge adapte to fit over the top portion 0 m a receptacle, said body portion having openings in its top ortion, resilient means carried by the inner ace of said flan e and adapted to eflect a seal between said 7 ange and the receptacle, a plate reciprocatorily borne by I said body portion, spurs carried by said plate and adapted to perforate the topof said rece tacle upon the operation of said plate and v ve elements associated with said late and adapted too on the openings in sai top por- 40 tion during t e perforation of said receptacle top and to close said openings thereafter.

3. A device of the character described comprising a body portion having a rim formed to present a shoulder and a depending flange adafpted to fit over and engage the top rtion o a receptacle, said body portion aving walled openings in its top, resilient means carried bythe inner face of said flange and adapted :to efiect a seal between said flange and the receptacle, a stem .slidably "flborneby said bod portion, a plate carried by one end of sai stem, a. ring encircling said stem and adapted to ho d said plate in an elevated position, spurs associated with said plate and adapted to perforate the to of the receptacle upon the depression an tensioning ofsaid spring and valve elements borne by said plate and normally closing the in said top of said body portion, said elements opening said ogenings during the perforating operation an returnable-to close said openings under 'e influence of said spring. "In testlmomhereoilaflix m ature.

- B. GOODF 

